Servicing couplings are commonly employed with refrigeration systems to permit the charging and evacuation of the refrigeration circuit as taught in assignee's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,892,117 and 4,921,013. Such couplings, conventionally, utilize a charging port having a Schrader valve, and a service adapter having a threaded connector for cooperating with the charging port attached thereto having a fixed valve actuator for displacing the Schrader valve and permitting refrigerant to flow through the coupling and into the refrigeration system.
Schrader valve type servicing systems rely upon a spring biased valve within the Schrader valve to automatically close upon the service adapter being removed from the charging port. The flow of refrigerant through the service adapter is generally controlled by a manually operated valve mounted upon the refrigerant storage bottle or cylinder.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigeration service coupling utilizing a charging port and a service adapter wherein the charging port and service adapter each include self-sealing valves operated by components associated with the other coupling part thereby minimizing the likelihood of opening the valves until the proper coupling interconnection has taken place.
Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigeration service coupling employing a self-sealing service adapter having both a manually operated valve serially associated with an automatically operated sleeve valve which can only be opened upon the service adapter being properly attached to the charging port.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a refrigeration service coupling employing a charging port connected to the refrigeration circuit and having a self-closing poppet type valve wherein the valve operation and movement is accurately controlled to assure proper valve sealing, and the charging port is rendered substantially tamper proof.
In the practice of the invention the refrigeration service coupling basically consists of a charging port permanently attached to the refrigeration system and in communication therewith. The charging port incorporates a self-sealing, spring biased, valve biased into the closed no flow condition.
The service adapter is connected by a flexible hose or the like to a refrigerant supply source, such as a pressurized bottle or cylinder. The service adapter includes a manually positionable valve having a seal axially displaceable within the adapter fluid passage. A spring biases a sleeve valve into engagement with the manually operated valve seal wherein the spring will maintain the adapter passage closed under all conditions when the adapter is not connected to the charging port.
A quick-release interconnection is preferably utilized between the charging port and service adapter, and upon a complete interconnection therebetween the automatic spring biased closing action of the service adapter sleeve valve is rendered inoperative by engagement of the sleeve valve with the charging port. Thereupon, manual actuation of the service adapter valve permits the valve to be opened and refrigerant supplied to the refrigeration circuit through the charging port as the adapter valve includes an extension for displacing the charging port self-sealing valve to an open condition as the service adapter valve is also opened.
The charging port communicating with the refrigeration circuit includes a spring biased poppet valve reciprocally positioned within a cylindrical passage. The valve is provided with axially extending passages and includes a fluted stem surrounded by a compression spring. The close tolerances between the spring and the stem maintains a coaxial alignment of the charging port valve within its associated passage insuring dependable operation, and the compression spring, once installed, is anchored in position by a swaging or metal deformation of the charging port rendering the valve dependable and substantially tamper proof.